Key to a Healthy Weight: Water

If you’re trying to lose weight—or want to maintain a healthy weight—stay well hydrated. A recent study involving nearly 10,000 adults and published in the Annals of Family Medicine, indicates that people who don’t drink enough water are about 50% more likely to be overweight than those who do.

Hydration—whether it comes from a bottle of water, a cup of tea, or fruits and vegetables—is important for good health. According to the research, study participants who were well-hydrated had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who were inadequately hydrated.

While interesting, the results of the study did not prove a cause-effect relationship between drinking water and losing weight. People who are overweight may eat when they are actually thirsty and drinking water may help people feel more full, so they eat less. It may also be that people who are healthier overall tend to drink more water. Researchers maintain that information about fluid needs should be included in weight loss advice.

New Eye Test Could Delay Vision Loss

Results of a recent study published in the journal Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics show that a new visual field test can detect vision loss related to glaucoma up to 4 years sooner. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, resulting in irreversible vision loss. It often causes no symptoms in its early stages. That’s why early detection and treatment is so important.

Glaucoma affects peripheral vision first. Tests that are currently used to detect the condition include an eye pressure test, examination of the back of the eye and the optic nerve, and a visual field test.

This new visual field test involves looking at small dots of light of specific sizes and brightness. The inability to see certain dots indicates blind spots in vision and peripheral vision loss—early signs of glaucoma. The test takes into account the fact that the eyes process central and peripheral information differently. The goal is to detect glaucoma earlier and start treatment to slow progression of the disease.

‘Red-hair’ Gene Raises Skin Cancer Risk

Heredity is complicated, but if you think back to that high school science class, you may remember a thing or two about dominant and recessive genes. For example, you may recall that a person with red hair inherited one “red hair” gene from each parent. That gene, called the MC1R gene, alters the production of the pigment melanin that determines hair, eye, and skin color. That’s why people with red hair usually have light-colored eyes, freckles, and pale skin that burns easily in the sun.

According to a recent study, it may be that the individual’s genetic make-up—rather than his or her light skin alone—that increases cancer risk from exposure to the sun’s UV rays. The study showed that people who carry just one recessive MC1R gene—people with dark, not red hair—are also at increased risk for cancer.

Researchers also determined that the MC1R gene not only increases risk for skin cancer related to sun exposure, but also increases the risk for tumors that are not related to sun damage. According to one of the study’s lead researchers, “people with only a single copy of the gene variant still have a much higher number of tumor mutations than the rest of the population.”